Crash of a De Havilland DHC-8-102 in Moba

Date & Time: Jan 13, 2010
Operator:
Registration:
5Y-EMD
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Nairobi - Moba
MSN:
110
YOM:
1988
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
18
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Nairobi on a humanitarian mission to Moba, carrying 18 passengers and 4 crew members on behalf of the United Nations Organization. After touchdown, the left main gear collapsed. The aircraft veered off runway to the left and came to rest in a marsh field. All 22 occupants escaped uninjured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. It appears that the pilot-in-command was distracted during the last segment by pedestrians at the runway threshold and the aircraft landed hard.

Crash of a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan in Boma

Date & Time: Feb 11, 2009
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
5Y-BUQ
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Juba – Boma
MSN:
208B-0366
YOM:
1993
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The single engine aircraft was completing a humanitarian flight from Juba to Boma on behalf of the World Food Program, carrying one passenger and two pilots. Upon landing at Boma Airstrip, one of the landing gear collapsed. The aircraft slid for few dozen metres before coming to rest, bursting into flames. All three occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was destroyed by fire.

Crash of a Beechcraft 1900C-1 near Bukavu: 17 killed

Date & Time: Sep 1, 2008 at 1600 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ZS-OLD
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Kinshasa - Mbandaka - Kisangani - Bukavu - Goma
MSN:
UC-137
YOM:
1900
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
15
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
17
Captain / Total flying hours:
2031
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Kinshasa on a humanitarian flight to Goma with intermediate stops in Mbandaka, Kisangani and Bukavu. While approaching Bukavu-Kamembe Airport, the crew encountered poor visibility due to bad weather conditions. At an altitude of about 10,800 feet, the aircraft struck the slope of Mt Kahuzi located some 15 km northwest of Bukavu. The wreckage was found a day later in a wooded area. All 17 occupants were killed, among them emissaries.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain after the crew initiated the descent prematurely. The lack of visibility was a contributing factor.

Crash of a Lockheed C-130H Hercules at Bagram AFB

Date & Time: Aug 5, 2008
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
1212
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
4985
YOM:
1983
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The four engine aircraft was completing a humanitarian mission to Bagram AFB. After landing in poor weather conditions, the aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance. It overran, lost its undercarriage and came to rest, bursting into flames. There were no injuries among the crew but the aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan in Doro

Date & Time: Apr 28, 2008 at 1240 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
5Y-SPK
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Doro - Nairobi
MSN:
208B-0243
YOM:
1990
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The single aircraft was on a return flight from Doro to Nairobi, carrying four mission personnel who took part to a humanitarian mission in the region of Doro. The takeoff was performed from a muddy airstrip and the aircraft was unable to gain sufficient height after liftoff. As a result, the left wing impacted a tree trunk and the airplane crashed in a ditch, coming to rest upside down. All five occupants escaped uninjured.

Crash of a Lockheed L-382G-32C Hercules in Kigoma

Date & Time: Jul 12, 2006 at 1517 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
S9-BOF
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Kamina – Manono – Kigoma
MSN:
4586
YOM:
1975
Flight number:
TFK822
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Kamina on a special UN flight to Kigoma, Tanzania, with an intermediate stop in Manono, DRC. On approach to runway 16, the captain decided to initiate a go-around procedure for unknown reasons. During the second attempt to land, the aircraft descended below the glide and struck the ground, coming to rest 300 metres short of runway threshold, bursting into flames. All 5 occupants were injured while the aircraft was destroyed by fire.
Probable cause:
Wrong approach configuration after the crew adopted an excessive rate of descent, causing the aircraft to pass below the glide until it impacted ground. The crew failed to initiate a second go-around for unknown reasons.

Crash of a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan on Mt Margherita: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 28, 2006 at 0647 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ZS-ADL
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Goma - Bunia
MSN:
208B-0381
YOM:
1994
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The single engine aircraft departed Goma on a humanitarian flight to Bunia, carrying one passenger, two pilots and a load consisting of 300 kilos of various goods on behalf of the World Food Programme. En route, the crew decided to follow a direct route via GPS instead of the one mentioned on the flight plan. While cruising at an altitude of 12,500 feet in poor weather conditions, the aircraft struck the slope of Mt Margherita (5,109 metres high) located in the Ruwenzori Mountain Range, western Uganda. The wreckage was found two days later and all three occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain after the crew failed to follow the prescribed route and executed a direct route over the mountains at an unsafe altitude in poor visibility due to weather.

Crash of an Antonov AN-74TK-200 in Kousséri: 6 killed

Date & Time: Apr 23, 2006 at 0455 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
UR-74038
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Sebha - N'Djamena
MSN:
470 97 933
YOM:
1993
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Sebha Airport, Libya, at 0250LT on a humanitarian mission to N'Djamena, carrying six crew members and a load of food aid on behalf of the Libyan Government. Upon arrival, by night, the crew informed ATC about technical problem and follow a holding pattern. Few minutes later, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a vegetable plantation located near Kousséri, Cameroon. All six occupants were killed and the aircraft was totally destroyed upon impact.

Crash of a Learjet 35A near La Paz: 6 killed

Date & Time: Mar 9, 2006 at 1630 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
T-21
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
La Paz – Santa Cruz – Paraná
MSN:
35-115
YOM:
1977
Location:
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The aircraft was flying back to Paraná (Argentina) with an intermediate stop at Santa Cruz with 3 military personnel and 3 technicians and board. They came in La Paz to deliver humanitarian aids after important flood in Bolivia. Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in an open field located 20 km from La Paz-El Alto Airport. All six occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It appears that the technicians proceeded with small maintenance on the aircraft prior to departure and that a mechanical failure may occurred after rotation.

Crash of a Lockheed L-382G-32C Hercules in Lokichoggio

Date & Time: Jun 10, 2005 at 1459 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
S9-BAS
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
El Obeid – Lokichoggio
MSN:
4472
YOM:
1972
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
19800
Captain / Total hours on type:
15000.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
14225
Aircraft flight hours:
51888
Circumstances:
A HS-748 suffered landing gear problems, causing the airplane to end up on its belly, blocking Lokichoggio's single 1800-metre runway 09/27. Three other light aircraft, a Dornier 228, an Antonov 28 and a Cessna 208, landed safely at the airfield on runway 27 after the HS-748 accident. Two Antonov 12 aircraft inbound to Lokichoggio from Torit, Southern Sudan, diverted to Juba upon getting information of the runway obstruction. Transafrik Hercules S9-BAS, flying for the United Nations World Food Programme, contacted Lokichoggio Tower at 14:30 hours. The aircraft was returning from a food air drop at Motot, Southern Sudan. The pilot was advised to divert to Eldoret International Airport but he opted to land at Lokichoggio. The Tower cleared the Hercules to land on runway 27 at the pilot’s discretion. The aircraft made a very heavy landing short of the runway and the top centre fuselage broke. The aircraft came to a stop about one kilometre from the touchdown point. Shortly before coming to a halt, the aircraft impacted the HS 748 with its right wing tip. The captain, the first officer, the flight engineer and the two loadmasters evacuated themselves safely. A repair crew started to work on S9-BAS on site at Lokichoggio in May 2006. The fuselage was repaired but the contractor left before repairs were completed. The airplane was seen in November 2008 parked at Lokichoggio without landing gear, engines and vertical stabilizer.
Probable cause:
The probable cause of the Hercules accident was the captain’s improper decision to land on the blocked runway at Lokichoggio Airport.
Final Report: